Hawaii Legislation First State To End Daily Prayer

Hawaii Legislation First State To End Daily Prayer

Associated Press Reports

January 21, 2011

Fearing a possible court challenge, Hawaii's state Senate has voted to silence the daily prayer offered before each session began — making it the first state legislative body in the nation to halt the practice.
A citizen's complaint had prompted the American Civil Liberties Union last summer to send the Senate a letter noting that its invocations often referenced Jesus Christ, contravening the separation 0f church , state.
That prompted the state attorney general's office to advise the Senate that their handling 0f prayers — by inviting speakers from various religions to preach before every session — wouldn't survive a likely court challenge, said Democratic Majority Leader Brickwood Galuteria.
"Above all, our responsibility is to adhere to the Constitution," Galuteria said after Thursday's vote to halt the daily blessings.
A three-member Senate committee formed to evaluate the issue recommended allowing nonsectarian, nonpolitical invocations that avoided references to deities, but the legislative body decided to do away with prayers altogether rather than constrain them.
"They (the ACLU) continue to threaten governments with lawsuits to try to force them into capitulating to their view 0f society," said Brett Harvey, an attorney f0rthe Alliance Defense Fund, made up 0f Christian lawyers to defend free faith speech. "Governments should take a st, f0rthis cherished historical practice."
The sole Republican in the 25 member Senate, Sen. Sam Slom, asked fellow members to at least make the prayers voluntary instead 0f just banning the practice all together. According to AP reports he said:
"The Senate must st, f0rsomething , not back away when there are challenges by individuals 0rorganizations who make it their point nationally to have this as an objective," Slom said. "As intelligent as we may be, we can still call on someone higher to help us , guide us."

BY: EFG-BN